U.S. News and World Report’s college rankings are constantly critiqued, decried and loudly dismissed. But in the hearts of prospective students and college officials, they hold a secret power. They held a power over me during my own college search not long ago and play a role in my younger sister’s, which is just beginning. With no familial or athletic connection to any one particular university and parents who simply attended local colleges, our search had to start somewhere. To even admit the credence, I, as a junior and senior in high school, gave to the rankings feels wrong. The myriad of college rankings reflect, perhaps poorly, the state of higher education. But what I find most interesting is the dichotomy between universities and liberal arts colleges. It’s a dichotomy that Dartmouth doesn’t fit into. Yet, this division dictates a list that ­ — despite universal criticism — holds incredible sway over prospective students’ decisions.

I recently ate dinner with an ’84. During out dinner, he hearkened back to older, less regulated times. One comment stuck out in our conversation. Back then, he told me, dorms had their own identities. There was no freshman housing, and people rarely moved around. Intramural sports had a Greek league and a dorm league whose champions played each other. Dorms had the power and funding from the College to host their own parties. Freshmen knew the sophomores, juniors and seniors in their dorms and dorms existed alongside a vibrant Greek scene. In many ways, it was exactly what the new house system intends to create.

Winter is the season of doing nothing. Squirrels, hedgehogs, bears and even a kind of lemur recognize this and go into long periods of hibernation. In his article “In Case of Blizzard, Do Nothing,” David Dudley writes, “A snowstorm rewards indolence and punishes the go-getters, which is only one of the many reasons it’s the best natural disaster there is.” Winter term can feel like a 10-week blizzard, but with an intense lineup of classes and extracurriculars to accompany it. And, due to some great evolutionary tragedy, we do not hibernate. In fact, despite the pitfalls of the season, Dartmouth students seem to believe they can beat nature. I, too, thought I could outlast the season. It was a terrible idea.

This break I had the distinct pleasure of considering the various ways I could become legally incapacitated. As part of granting my parents power of attorney, I was forced to consider several grave scenarios. My reasons for doing so were fairly simple — not only do my parents have my best interests at heart, but they’re also uniquely well-suited for the task, as both of them are doctors.